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Tag Archives: white miso

When we were making the nasturtium and basil sauce the other week it occurred to both of us how much nasturtium leaves resemble a little lilypad! So the idea for this broth was born, really just as a way to display the nasturtiums prettily… but as new recipes do, it evolved! And became a beautiful light broth made with the pods of fresh peas and flavoured with miso and mirin. Peas and herbs are added raw, and nasturtium leaves and radish floated on top for the cutest garnish. It’s delicious as well as looking lovely!

The pods of the peas are so often overlooked, but they make a gorgeous quick stock. When I was a kid we used to eat them as we shelled the peas and I still prefer the flavour of them to the actual pea! Don’t just pop them straight in your mouth though, they have a tough inner layer (which protects the peas), but this is easily peeled off by snapping a pod half at one end and gently peeling the layer away. It doesn’t always come off in one go, but it’s incredibly satisfying when it does!

Fresh pea broth with miso and herbs

makes 1 serving

200 g fresh peas in pods

400 ml water

1 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sweet white miso

10 g pea shoots

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, shredded

1 radish

a few nasturtium leaves

a small pinch of salt (you may not need this but I found the broth needed a tiny bit to bring out the pea flavour. It will probably depend on your miso)

Shell the peas, putting the pods in a saucepan and setting the peas aside for later.

Add the water and mirin to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

While the broth is cooking prepare the radish. Cut it in half lengthways and carefully make three v-shaped cuts the length of the radish, removing the little pieces that each v-shape releases. Next slice each half of the radish across into very thin slices.

In a large soup bowl layer the peas, miso, herbs and pea shoots. Strain the broth into the bowl and stir gently. Taste, and add salt if needed.

Float the nasturtium leaves and radish slices carefully on top of the broth.